


Tidbits: Headcanons and More

by PenNameArtist



Series: Miscellaneous Planes [1]
Category: Planes (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Q and A, Random information, headcanon and lore bits, miscellaneous, tidbits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28554639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenNameArtist/pseuds/PenNameArtist
Summary: After contemplating a million different - more constructed and organyzed - ways to explain the pieces of headcanon that I haven't yet gotten to cover, I have finally decided to just say "fuck all" and throweverythinginto here, making my very own melting-pot of Q and A, character information, headcanon discussions, and possible AU explorations. This is the ULTIMATES.H.I.T.S.H.O.W.revisal, and there's no such thing as put-together here. Nor is there any concept of 'sane'.This series liable to change or be edited at any given time. Just go with it, I have literally no better ways I can think of to go about this.
Relationships: Dusty Crophopper/Original Character, Nick Loopin' Lopez/Blade Ranger
Series: Miscellaneous Planes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092143
Comments: 77
Kudos: 8





	1. [QA] Blade's Tegu

**Author's Note:**

> **KEY:**
> 
> _[QA]_ \- A 'questions and answers' style tidbit, often by request (anyone can ask questions about anything, btw, I will just say that now. This isn't explicitly a Q and A series, _but_ I am 100% willing to answer any questions you have)  
>  _[TB]_ \- Quite literally, a bare-bones basic "Tidbit" of information, which may stick to a certain "theme" but won't necessarily stay in that theme in the entire post. Think of it like the general folder of a certain thing.  
>  _[O/M]_ \- Other or miscellaneous content, whatever doesn't go in any of the other categories. I'm saving these for things like character anatomy, history, evolution, anything that isn't covering a character or group of characters, or isn't necessarily answering a question.

(Questions by Tanel)  
For our very first segment of _Tidbits_ , we got a whole slew of tegu-themed questions!

As an overview, “Trigger” is Blade’s pet Argentine black and white tegu. If you’re unfamiliar with tegus (don’t worry I was too, until I learned about them from my art teacher) they’re similar in size and shape to iguanas, or like smaller, non-venemous Komodo dragons. They grow up to around four feet long and live up to about 15-20 years. Trigger is about seven right now.

In the timeline, Trigger is a part of Blade’s life during the events of Emergency - though I think only mentioned once. He’ll have a short appearance for the following project in the timeline, Familia, but otherwise he hasn’t really appeared in any stories, short or long, just yet.

_[Where did Blade get the Argentine tegu from?]_

So, Blade got Trigger through a rescue facility in California, as a means of helping them out with saving some of the organic creatures still alive on earth today. Knowing he literally works and lives as a full-time resident of a National Park, he was able to take in Trigger with almost no questions asked. Trigger was his first pick, as well - Maru says they just shared a look that sealed the deal. He believes, however, that really Blade just saw how much trouble he would be for Maru on the base. However it was fated, Trigger is now a VIR (that is, very important reptile) resident of the base and park.

(TLDR: In my HC, there are actually a select few animals (mostly reptiles, fish and amphibians) that have made it through into the evolved era of Cars, which are being slowly rediscovered. Animal sanctuaries and other such places have started putting these organic animals in the homes of caretakers so that they might be able to keep these animal’s numbers alive. That whoooole thing is very closely connected to concepts that delve wayyy down into the very core beginnings of my headcanon, BUT, for the sake of my time and energy, we will cover that in another entry.)

_[And where does he usually keep him?]_

Since he’s moved to Piston Peak, Blade’s had a couple of rooms and add-ons put into his hangar...well, okay, two. One extra room is his, as the rest of the team calls it, “Secret Lair” that is literally just a library and reading room, while the other is Trigger’s dedicated room. It has enough room and personalized structure that it’s the greatest place to keep a large reptile, complete with heating lamp and beds and a kiddie pool that he barely touches. Of course, Trigger isn’t always just in that room (much to Maru’s dismay) but it is where he spends most of his time, lounging around between troublemaking.

_[What does he feed him?]_

What Tegus eat, of course! Though, since there are no mammals left on earth (that we know of), most of Trigger’s diet consists of salmon, alongside fruits and some insects, eggs (that are expensive as hell because chickens are low in population but high in demand) and other types of fish. It’s a good thing Blade’s well-off financially at this point (being a bachelor and chief of the fire and rescue, and with practically nothing he spends on himself or anyone else) so he can make sure Trigger has exactly the kinds of nutrients he needs.

_[Is he passionate about this pet, or just likes a little company by this creature?]_

Both, to varying degrees. While he initially took him in to help out the animal center (with the knowledge that they would want Trigger breeding to females to raise those population numbers back up), he’s really come to enjoy the reptile’s company, and as such he’s become pretty interested in tegus and other reptiles. He’s often said he’d get another tegu or some other reptile from the center in the future, maybe after Trigger passes (which won’t be any time too soon).

_[Does he talk to him?]_

He does, though not usually when others are around. Unless he’s trying to get him to stop terrorizing the mechanic...

_[Does he take it to bed with him when he is lonely like I take my cat to my bed (to which she always runs off to another room)?]_

It depends on the night, really. Most of the time, Trigger stays in his own room/enclosure overnight, but oftentimes Blade will let him sit on his helm while he’s reading before attempting sleep. Trigger likes pretending he’s getting heat off of the reading light.

That’s all I’ve got for you guys tonight, but I really enjoyed spewing headcanons! XD still open for any requests featuring specific characters! Please note though, this isn’t the same as my art series ‘Plane Topics’ (wow, yeah that’s still a thing, I swear) in which you’re asking the character directly. I do have questions on that series that I will get to eventually...I might be putting it off for mental/emotional reasons... For now though, I can do this!

_-Pen_


	2. [TB] Oscar Woods (& The Orange Terror)

Me: *spends an hour trying to find a better, more historically-interesting last name for Oscar than 'Woods'*

*gives up and goes with the 'Woods' idea I literally bullshitted two hours prior*

Here we go, random tidbits (but mostly Dusty/Oscar related. Not all of them though.)

\-----

-Oscar Woods is an original character of mine, who's still really new to the group, but is and has become Dusty's lover slash emotional support plane. He's a Curtiss P-36 Hawk (looks very much like Skipper actually, minus the gull-shape in the wings and a few other design things. But the bare-bones idea is similar on the exterior and esposed cowling).

-Oscar's main color palette, though NOT set in stone yet, is planned to be greys and forest greens, and potentially a touch of purple. I have not sold myself on this plan however, so I'll keep you posted if it changes. I need to make a reference image or three for Oscar first before I make any final final decisions.

-Oscar is an asexual - and yes, before you ask, this does not mean he's "not allowed to date/be in love with/be romantic with Dusty". That has nothing to do with that, it just means he has a lack of sexual attraction. He does not, however, lack romantic attraction for the crop duster. Oscar is as one would say, an Ace of Hearts: that is, a romantic asexual. He will cuddle and kiss the crap out of Dusty, and he enjoys doing so. He just doesn't have the overwhelming desire to want to fuck him, that's literally it. (And Dusty doesn't mind that, either; his own libido isn't the strongest anyways, so really he just relieves that on his own terms.)

-Going back to the paint job/livery idea, since he's an ace I may incorporate spades, hearts, or just card suites in his design. It's a work in progress, y'all leave me be, I'm tired.

-Dusty (headcanon name Dustin Liam Crophopper - not sure if some of you guys knew that) has himself an older brother by about four years, named Chase. Oscar and Chase are...devious, together. It might actually be reccomended that they are never in the same space together, because they are relentless teases to Dusty - like seriously, they share secrets about his most ticklish spots and then go for the kill. It's all in good fun of course, but Dusty is always the target, always and forever.

-Though distantly, Oscar is actually related to Skipper. He's his (I looked this up so this is actually accurate) first cousin twice removed - AKA, the grandson of Skipper's first cousin. He and Dusty meet by coincidence for this reason later on (details of which will be explained in a future fic!)

-[specific to the humanized variant] Dusty, after the incurable development of his epilepsy, ends up with a service dog, a Golden Retriever by the name of Amber (based off of a real Golden Retriever my dad had of the same name - though, not a seizure response service dog). Oscar and Dusty both love her to pieces, and Oscar totally doesn't see it as a huge bonus when it comes to dating and living with Dusty. XD

\-----

Okay that's all for now folks, shoo!  
Bah humbug!

_-Pen_


	3. [QA] Blade's Biggest Fear

(Questions by Tanel)

_[What is Blade's biggest fear? Is it to lose someone?]_

Losing someone is definitely something he deeply fears, but it’s more specific than that. His absolute greatest fear would be losing the people that he loved to something he feels he could have prevented. Failing to save them from something, but at the cost of their life/lives and not his. It would do much more than scare him, it would completely _break_ him.

_[Does he feel responsible over the pictures on the wall? Especially the ones that are put there during his time of being a fire chief?]_

It’s a mixed bag, really. Yes, he feels incredibly guilty about a lot of them - especially those who died while he was in office - but at the same time, he knows, and has been reassured by his team, that what’s happened to them were not specifically his fault, nor anyone’s; It was a freak accident of fate.  
Take for example the plane that crashes in one of my Props to the Proppies shorts, _‘Seven of Swords’_. Blade, as the chief, already carries a great deal of burden knowing she died under his teachings. However, he’s come to a point in his life (especially right now) that he can’t let that grief control him. Dusty, however, has not learned that sense of control yet, as we see in the story. It’s something Blade’s taken thirty years and a lot of hard beatings to learn, and while it might make him look stone-cold sometimes, he really is conquering some of his greatest fears.  
The only thing now that would be a greater fear to him, that he wouldn’t have the decency to control, would be losing Dusty, at this stage in his life and in their relationship. _Thankfully_ , Dusty does not die before he has the chance to grow up.

At least, going off of the Burn’verse headcanon. I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to fashion an AU where he would die young, as Nick did. Hmm getting ideas for P2 shorts… XD

Super short Q & A this time, but it was on one of those heavier topics.

-Pen


	4. [QA] Define 'Softie'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I actually had plans for another Tidbit, one on my headcanon of aircraft hermaphroditism, but since I have a few questions now from a few different folks, I’m just gonna push that chapter back a little to give you these. After this I hope to get closer to 5 or so questions per QA, so in case questions get delayed in the future, that'll probably be why (so then, just pester me with more questions to add.)
> 
> Enjoy!

**Tanel asks:** _I feel like i asked it somewhere, but i am not sure.. Does Windlifter think that Blade is sexy AF and visa versa?_

To answer your first thing, it was a question on Sharatrap's Q and A that I know of. And, headcanon wise....ehhhhh _not really_? I mean, we all know the both of them are sexy fucks, but as to them thinking that of _one another_ , its almost completely irrelevant to them - they've never been romantic towards each other, even though in Emergency they've escalated to "old married couple" in terms of conversation.

Now, that isn't to say they don't admire one another. Blade has always looked up to Windlifter like a guiding force, and someone he feels can be a safe space to speak out about personal matters. Windlifter, in turn, thinks highly of his chief, and would do all in his power to take care of him if need arises. They've spent hard nights together, and in those times they've bonded like brothers.

You've heard the saying 'birds of a feather'? Well these two are more like chopps' of a rotor. And they flock together.

**Sharatrap123 asks:** _Is Blade a softy :3?_

I have no idea under what context this even _is_ , so I'll just try to cover the broadband of "everything".

In terms of emotional vulnerability (which I think is really what this question meant XD) kind of, it depends. So, Blade has a soft _core_ ; however, years and years and years and years of heartache and loss, and then trying to be a firefighter and train a crew, has made him build up shell after shell around it until, outwardly, he's got a heart made of steel. But, if course, there's ways to break through all those layers! ;)

In terms of physical appearance...I mean, his sponsons only act as extensions of his landing gear, so equivalent to his hips....so he may not be _soft_ , but _damn he thicc._ *I'm getting angry glares, guys help me I might die*

And lastly, kind of an extension of the first point, Blade _has_ a soft spot _for_ :  
-Tegus, and other reptiles (he got hooked on them after Trigger)  
-Kids, oddly enough (they do terrify him, but hes at least got the sense to bring down his Big Tough Gruff mode if he has to work with one, I.e. pulling a kid from a fire, etc)  
-Lets make this known, Blade does look at good looking male helis and planes with 'interest' now and again. Would it be considered a soft spot? Not really. Is it necessary information? The hell it isnt, my good proppies must know the truth! XD  
-The old men of the PPAA always tease this, but yes Blade does also have a soft spot for chocolates, specifically those really really dark chocolates that are so dark theyre almost bitter-tasting. Someone always manages to find one to stuff in the chief's stocking around Christmas (the team does a little secret-santa type thing every year).

**ShuTodoroki asks:** _How dependent are the Piston Peak crew on coffee? Like, rank the Piston Peak crew from "I can deal with no coffee in the morning" to "I need coffee to live." XD_

Oh boi! Lesse here…

Going from the members who need the _least_ amount of coffee, we have: _Windlifter_ (he actually doesn’t drink coffee, he has a regular habit of instead drinking herbal teas and such); Patch and Pinecone, who’ve both picked up on the tea habits (well, on frequent occasion, but not always); Avalanche and Drip who are both banned from having more than two spoons of sugar in their mugs; Blackout who forgets where he leaves his mug all the time; Dynamite and Dusty, who both have “normal” takings; Dipper who’s a sugar-addict; Blade who ends up drinking coffee at _night_ (go. The fuck. _Ta bed!_ ); Maru, who has _evil concoctions_ of coffee and what the team suspects is Redbull (hey, it works when he’s trying to save a team member); and the winner of the coffee-addiction is actually _Cabbie_ , both because he drinks much larger cups than everyone else, and because it takes at least two whole cups to get the old engines firing in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie, well that’s my round of explanations for this time, hopefully next chapter (expect a long one) I will finish up that thing I mentioned above. There’s actually some new headcanons in place for small aspects of it, as well as a work-in-progress fic that showcases them (that’s right guys, the smut-train is headed this way yet again). Enjoy for now!
> 
> -Pen


	5. [QA] We Interrupt This Program to Bring You--

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pushing back my hermaphroditism bit _again_ because y’all are so persistent. But, I think this will actually fare well as a lead-up into said chapter. You’ll see what I mean in a minute. On with...more questions! XD

**Tanel asks:** _Okay, does Blade feel protective over his team? especially Dusty and does he think that Dusty is cute little fucker??_

Absolutely. Well they all do to an extent, really. Blade may be the battalion chief, but that doesn’t make him the one solely in charge of maintaining his crew. (Actually, one might argue that on the outside, he seems very closed and cold to some)  
But that’s just how Blade is. Everyone else has come to learn how to read him, and Dusty in _particular_ is the only one who’s thus been capable of breaking down new barriers. Because of that, they _especially_ will go to lengths to protect one another.

[Blade also had feelings for Dusty that, while he controls them knowing they aren't reciprocated, will not stop him from the subconscious thought that yes, Dusty is a cute little fucker. (have an angry-smiley cat face to coincide with this comment: >:3 )]

**Tanel asks:** _Would Blade save Cad from a burning house while risking his own life doing so?_

XD

Asshat or no asshat, Blade’s putting his life on the line for _anyone_! That includes Cad, should need have arised to.

**Tanel asks:** _When Blade goes to sleep does he pull his landing gear in and lies down on his belly like a snuggly little cutie.  
Or he stays on his wheels whole time?_

It honestly depends on the night. He will sleep in duck-mode (that’s what I’m calling it, you can’t stop me) less often than he did in his youth, but on particularly peaceful nights, he’ll allow himself to do so. Otherwise, he sleeps with his landing gear down and ‘locked’ (as a horse might sleep with their legs locked) on a mat, just because it’s easier on his tires than hard concrete.

**Sharatrap123 asks:** _Depending on what i am seeing, the PPAA and PWJ can basically eat human food or is it food specialized to be edible for vehicles only?_

It’s actually both! Well, in my headcanon it’s both. So, while aircraft and other vehicles are definitely that, _machines_ , their internal bodies have a lot of the same organic qualities that humans or other animals have. It’s the same kind of organic hybridization that makes their mouths malleable and their bodies have a bit more stretch to them. Because of this unique structure, their bodies have evolved to be able to ingest ‘human food’.  
And, while oil is definitely their main source of sustenance (assume it’s like honey, in that it contains all of the life-sustaining properties) certain fruits, vegetables and other foods are important in keeping an aircraft healthy.  
Funny story though, and I’ll get to talking about this eventually in a Tidbit, there aren’t any living mammals on their planet anymore (though not from reptiles and birds, who are coming back), so what has ended up happening is scientists basically formulated meat that is entirely plant-based (it’s a thing. Actually it’s a thing in our world too, it’s very strange XD) but still looks and tastes like meat.

**Sharatrap123 asks:** _Also do humans exist in their world since i don't know how the heck they can be born or know things…_

Headcanon-speaking...not anymore. There’s evidence to suggest people did, in fact, exist prior, but their records are extremely slim. No one is really quite sure what happened to them, nor how aircraft came to be the way they are (they are aware that humans had soulless, organless versions of them, but it’s believed that the two are not connected).

As for how they can be born and ‘know things’...oh you sweet innocent creature… XD

Okie, I’m gonna cover all of this is my next Tidbit (Lord willing I get it out before I get too many more questions again XD) but in summary: Planes and helis do, indeed, reproduce by themselves; their bodies are hybridized constructs with organic beings (some speculate they might have relation to _dolphins_ ) which have allowed them their sentience; different types of aircraft have different designs relevant to the ‘how’s and ‘why’s of their reproduction, for example some have evolved forms of hermaphroditism; lastly, they do have live birth as opposed to laying eggs or them being ‘built’ (though I guess _technically_ they still are, in a way..), though they will of course need modifications on their bodies as they grow older to keep them in tip-top shape.  
I’ll get into the nitty-gritties in my next Tidbit, hopefully! I’m working on it right now! We gon’ have an aircraft sex-ed, ho’ boy! The funny thing is, it’s not the first public Planes sex-ed, it’s the _second_ (“-I’d have two nickels! Which isn’t a lot, but you know it’s weird that it happened twice-”) so quick but very deserving shoutout to Bobblychicken for their own _Planes Anatomy 101_!


	6. [O/M] Hermaphroditism & Aircraft Sex-Ed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is being dedicated to an entire - long - chapter. Yup. This is a _thing_! Hold onto your hats y’all!

This is an important tidbit to make, purely because it will help explain a lot of concepts and themes surrounding my (generally not safe for work) fics, as well as the headcanon of the world and its inhabitants. While this may not be everybody’s cup of tea, it’s still going to be relevant to my storytelling, and that’s why this is here! So let’s...talk about airplane and helicopter reproduction systems, oh joy. XD

First and most notably to this rather lengthy headcanon explanation (because it’s the most often used slash needed to explain), helicopters, as well as _large_ aircraft, both have forms of what is called _hermaphroditism_ [herm-af-row-dite-is-em]. While they each display them in different ways, both have the same basic principles: males and females each have their _own_ male and female reproductive organs, stacked one on top of the other, hidden beneath separate sets of releasable panelling.

Now for the main _differences_ between the two species, large aircraft are _simultaneous_ hermaphrodites, meaning they have both parts, and can use them, you guessed it, _simultaneously_. Both exist at the same time without overcrowding each other. The ways they do this are mostly because of the fact that large planes have much lower hormone levels, even as adolescents, so there’s never a problem that one set is simply outpowering another. Now this does mean that they have to deal with female cycles (though, aircraft do not bleed) but again, natural hormone levels are so low and so well evened out that there never seems to be a big difference in behavior. (Side note: you might still see Cabbie swiping extra caffeine from the kitchen, though.)

Large aircraft will still have one set that determines their gender from birth, however, and that is whichever set is positioned closer to their underbellies (this works the same way with helicopters which we’ll get to in a minute). Then as they reach adolescence, _both_ reproductive organs will begin to properly function. As a special note to add, no, they can not self-impregnate. They do still have to have a partner in order to reproduce.

And now onto my personal (very biased) favorites, the helicopters. Though they share the main hermaphrodite aspects, helicopters are known alternatively as being ‘sequential’ hermaphrodites. From birth, there is always one set that will be more prevalent and have stronger hormones than another, making the secondary dormant by comparison. The stronger set (or the natural one, I should say - transgender helis do of course exist) will always be the one _closest_ to the craft’s belly, the same as large craft in determining gender, and the dormant set will be resting behind it. To put it very bluntly, cisgendered male helis have a penis in the front and a vagina behind it, and cisgendered females are the _reverse_!

When helicopters reach their adolescence, only the _main_ set will be active. The dormant parts will remain dormant...for the most part. There is however one aspect of these dormant parts that need to be dealt with into a helicopter’s adulthood, and that is _precautionary cycling_. About every ten years or so, or roughly 12 different times in their lifespans, a helicopter’s secondary panelling becomes highly active _only_ to ensure that it is healthy and functioning, and ready to use if absolutely necessary. Cycling will last between one and two weeks when active, and then (granted it doesn’t become actually active during that time, ie they’re not dropping eggs or releasing sperm) it will naturally just go back to a dormant state. Generally speaking, male cycling will make them more moody, and females will be hornier and occasionally more aggressive or dominating. Oh the wonderful world of double hormones.

Now, you may be wondering, “But why have a _second_ set of reproduction parts if they serve no purpose for most of their lives?”. Well you see, the only reason helicopters and large aircraft even evolved to having hermaphroditism in the first place is their need to _not_ go extinct. It’s much more difficult for the both of them (large aircraft in particular) to find suitable mates to bear children with, especially when you need to find one male and one female to do so. In the case of planes such as Cabbie, as well, there’s historical evidence to prove that this hermaphroditism was purposefully bred into them in order to maintain high numbers of C-119s without having to decline females in war (sexism being what it was). The evolution definitely saved their afts in the long run, however, making it easier for them to reproduce effectively.

So why are helicopters different, why have their secondary sets completely _dormant_ from birth as opposed to large aircraft's way of doing it? Long story short for their excuse: it's for emergency uses.

Helicopters are a species of aircraft that, historically, often bordered on the lines of 'difficult' in keeping good numbers of. Compared to the vast majority of aircraft, helicopters actually don't have as long a life expectancy, capping at 150 years, whereas prop planes in good condition will average 150, some even topping 200 or more. (Side note: Helos have also consistently had some of the highest numbers of same-sex couples in their species, seconding only to larger aircraft. Hermaphroditism is full of The Gays, apparently!) As a cherry on top to all of that, helos also have much stronger hormones than large aircraft, since they are much smaller and lighter. Because of these small issues in reproductivity, it's alleged that hermaphroditism evolved into the species as an emergency use for hard times. In the instance of, say, an apocalypse, so long as you have two helis, not _necessarily_ two helis of _differing_ genders, you could still conceivably continue their species. But that's only hypothetical scenarios, I'm not implying that Blade may be forced to carry pups for humanity in _any_ kind of alternate universe…yet.

Though small aircraft don’t really need as much of an explanation for their way of doing things, I will add them to the pile as well just for clarification; small ‘craft, including all the prop-planes (and the sweet potato) are born with one of two biological sexes - but a male’s parts are tucked away in a cavity almost identical-looking to that of a female. Their balls are also further in the body so they’re protected from harm (though I’m sure a fist at the right angle over there would hit them effectively XD), and that’s just across the board, all males and male parts are that way across the aircraft spectrum. So, in essence, they’re basically like whales and dolphins! (I’m now thoroughly regretting adding “Do whales have balls?” to my Google search history…)

Now, some random things relative to all of this that I also wanted to point out, _gestation periods!_ Aircraft differ by make and model quite a bit, but the general rule of thumb is that smaller bodies equal shorter terms, heavier bodies equal longer ones.

\- The shortest gestation periods are within the small single-engine prop planes, going from the world’s smallest (the _Starr Bumble Bee model_ , respectively) into planes about Dusty’s size, though he is stunted in size for an Air Tractor, and their pregnancy times are around three to four months at a time.

\- Slightly larger aircraft, including most of your warplanes and bigger single-engine aircraft, have gestation periods of six to ten months.

\- Small double-engine planes, Bulldog as an example, are between eight and eleven months.

\- Bigger double-engines, starting at Dipper’s type and going all the way up to Cabbie, have a minimum period of twelve months, but often go up to fifteen.

\- Light helos, and most often skidded copters, have a period closest to a human term of nine to ten months.

\- Bigger helos, Blade’s size and up, capping a little under Windlifter’s size, are all twelve-month terms.

\- Windlifter and other big choppers, which also include models with double rotor assemblies, take around thirteen months.

Okay, you got all that? Alright, I got one more round of random things to add here, if you’ve made it this far, and these I didn’t really organize all that well so it’s just a mix of headcanon tidbits here!

\- One feature between aircraft coupling is reproductive _magnetism_. This is a bit of headcanon I’ve added to an upcoming Prop Calendar project that you’ll hopefully get to see, one day at least. There are natural magnets lining the rims of each panelled set of parts, and they grow more powerful with arousal, until the point of orgasm, when they quite literally snap full force with the set of a partner’s, like a lock-on system during mating. Between two of the same sets of panelling, there’s not much magnetic response, but between a male and female coupling, the opposite polarities get _really_ damn strong.

\- Despite the obvious sequential hermaphroditism within helicopter species, their societies are still a widely homophobic and transphobic demographic (as shown by Blade’s relationship with his father and biological family). A lot of your helo purists will believe that your secondary set should be ignored at all costs, and that giving in to using it is equivalent to an unforgivable sin. Times did change for them in needing to have such a thing, but times are changing again to make that something that shouldn’t need to be shunned.

\- Though this isn’t confirmed headcanon, I’m really just thinking out loud on this, but I have considered toying around with the idea of airplane sex drives and how those may naturally alter between species. Larger aircraft may tend to have a much lower sexual appetite, whereas smaller or more flexible craft have a much higher one. There are, of course, plenty of exceptions to that (Oscar), but that’s an unconfirmed concept of differences in species.

And that concludes our random-ass tidbit (that took way too long to produce) on plane and heli sex-ed! Now, I am aware there’s a lot of aspects I haven’t covered here, so if anyone has any further questions, feel free to add them into a comment, I’m always open to getting questions to fill up Q and As, and I’ve got a few already that I’ll be rolling out in the next chapter. That will be all I’ve got for today, apologies for my lack of posting right now, I’m trying to barrel through a writing block and it’s only half-working. XD  
I shall be back with more half-assed content in the coming times!


	7. [Q/A] The Most Dangerous Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q and A, it’s another wonderful Q and A! And we will have some… _stories_ , to be told today within them. On with content!

**Tanel asks:** _Does Dipper low key idolize Blade? And does she find him kinda hot?_

Since it's a bit blunt to put it in one sentence, I'll just explain Blade and Dipper's relationship kinda full-circle. Dipper came to Piston Peak the year following Blade's promotion to battalion chief. She had recently moved from Alaska, as though she'd packed up nothing but bare necessities and gotten out in a hurry - and then some. She wasn't even prepared with her hangar on the air attack, just dumping what little there was and sleeping on a barren air mattress until someone said something.  
That someone happened to be Blade. Midway through her training and rather displeased with her mediocre results (even a new chief has high standards), he eventually consulted her about her rushed and disheveled mannerisms. _That's_ when he learned why she was here.  
She had been big on dating up in the mountains of Alaska, big on parties, and big on drinking. Really big on drinking. So much so that it became her greatest means of escape when she found herself in unsafe relationships. It was then that she also learned about her mood disorder.  
Well, those things all combined, she messed up. Big time. After a heated argument with an ex ended in _literal_ flames (she was sketchy on the details), she decided in recovery to turn her life around. A 180 turnaround. Of course, her peers all believed it was just talk - she would always go back to the way she was before, after a while. But this time was different. This time she learned from her near fatal mistake. Over a stupid, pointless matter.  
Piston Peak was a lucky shot. She'd been scouring fire departments hiring untrained recruits, with limited success. Of course, most of her small town places _had_ volunteer fire stations, but they never had the right folks to train her. Not an aircraft. Then there was trying to find a way out of the mess of relationships that followed her all throughout the state; So she _knew_ she was making the right call picking a position in a wildlife park down in Cali. Finally, a fresh start.  
But that didn't come without bumps. Between being new to her surroundings and to her career, stress and anxiety got the better of her most nights. Blade, at least, was an understanding enough chief to help her through it, endlessly patient while she made her slow progress, and remaining by her side to remind her, in trying times, why she was doing this. Of course it was for others, but there was more to it for Dipper. She did it for herself, too. It was the job that gave her a new purpose, and allowed her to abandon the alcohol once and for all.  
She looks up to Blade as not just a mentor, but a friend, and maybe even something of a father-figure. If she had known about CHoPs before Blade, she might have seen him in a more romantic lens, but _Blade's the one_ who even slipped her the show tapes to play late in the night, introducing her not only to that show, but to 70s and 80s tv shows as a whole. Yes, you heard it first. He didn't tell her directly, though she put two and two together, but he gave up the secret of his past life, that she might make it through her certification training.

**Tanel asks:** _[Also] Does Blade think that he himself is good looking?_

I think if you were to ask him that directly, you may get one of two distinct types of answers: either the deadpan stare that conveys "I literally spent thirty years in denial hating myself for shit that was out of my control", or the ever sarcastic "obviously; why else wear the red?"  
By which, in both ways, he of course means that he used to - very much - when he was younger, and before Nick died. Jury's still out on whether he has the ability to think that _now_. It's probably he's more pleased with his position in life now, as opposed to his physical appearance.

**Sharatrap123’s _Destiny_ asks:** _Ok i'll go first, so this is about Dusty, what exactly inspired him to become a racer to the point he'll almost die? (Even though i'm him in another Universe i had a different reason)_

Well to be fair, I don't think young, naive, dreamin' Dusty would have noticed when he started racing that it had the potential to kill him. That was much more of an afterthought, and to this day he will push that possibility to the farthest corners of his mind.  
In regards to what inspired him to become a racer though, it was mostly through watching the races on television. As a young pup always running in and out of the house with his brother Chase, the television their family owned was usually left on with something they might sit down to watch (if only to keep them out of Tess’s garden). If it wasn't a cartoon or a holiday special on, it was air racing. Dusty in particular was fascinated with it, to probably an unhealthy level. He had racing idols, and collected merch from their racing lines; he was always waiting impatiently for new races to go on the air; and when he was fourteen, their father finally broke in, and took them to see his first real air race. It was then that he also saw Ripslinger, for the first time ever, and how _incredible_ of a racer he was, even as young as he was (he was only 18 at this point in time). So, while his desire to _become_ a racer was fueled through his rival to-be, his love of the sport came through the most millennial thing probably _ever_. XD

**Sharatrap123’s _Blade_ asks:** _Has Blade had that giant urge to kill or dismantle Cad? (Not the first time i tried to either when i became part of the team, i was not the chief yet either)_

Well, let’s just say that Blade’s mind is a _very_ dark place that should be ventured into with the utmost caution. That being said, Blade never had any _true_ intentions of harming Cad. He’d be more than pleased if karma came in and evened the odds, but otherwise he spent those five years dealing with him by grinding his teeth (to the team’s dentist’s dismay) and hoping to chrysler they fired him… _eventually_.

**[Anonymous] Bandit asks:** _Does Blade love his team? Has he physically protected all of them before?_

_Abso-fucking-lutely_! XD  
The whole team is a tightly-knit gang of pirates (truly) who’ve got each other’s backs, not just in their profession but in their own lives. Technically speaking, any time Cad was on base trying to wrestle more resources out of the team’s grasp, Blade would step in to shield the team, so to speak, from harm. At that point it became second nature that whenever the asshat showed up, Blade was the only one ‘permitted’ to speak with him. Not that anyone else wanted to anyways.  
As far as more physically protecting his team, well that’s hard to say. Being the chief, he kind of _always_ does, though even he can’t protect everyone all the time from harm. Probably the closest he’d have gotten to physically putting himself between team members and danger are the above mentioned, the mine scene from the film, and an _upcoming_ moment in ‘Emergency’ that I won’t spoil details on. ;)

**[Anonymous] Bandit asks:** _[And] has Blade or Cabbie had to bail the jumpers out from anything they may have gotten themselves into? ___

__Ah. Many times. In many different ways!  
Okay technically, none of them have ever actually had to be bailed out of _jail_ before. They’ve run into shenanigans with cops _numerous_ times, but never to an extent past getting tickets. Being offroaders, they don’t have quite as many rules they have to follow, and that might just be for the better.  
As for Blade and Cabbie (and Windlifter, _and_ Maru) bailing them from _other_ trouble...they’ve some stories to tell. Going to the humanized size of the spectrum for a second, there’s a very _particular_ ‘incident’ I want to call to attention, and that was a night very recent in time. The Smokejumpers, Dipper, and Dusty were all in the main hangar, presumably watching their TV shows. Nothing out of the ordinary there. The adults were in the mess hall, discussing courses of action with road construction and other changes going on in the park. They were alerted, however, to the growing sound of _shrieking_ from across the base.  
Blade and Cabbie decided to be the ones to step out and see what was going on. If there was a snake or some other creature in the hangar, they would need their Pest Control duo. (why Blade and Cabbie you ask? Windlifter isn’t a good pest controller because he always wants to take the animal to a part of the base that’s safer and give it some sanctuary to live in, never really dispelling the issue, and _Maru_ makes a scene out of ending the creature’s life. Blade and Cabbie are both the middlemen of the four, so they have to dispose of critters accordingly.) But low and behold, it was not an animal in the base, nor were there any catastrophes or dangers. Nope, what they instead walked in on was the boys of the group all sitting leg-splayed on the floor in a circle, toe-to-toe, spinning a half-empty bottle of Gatorade across the circle and yelping at every close-call to their jewels. The only male member missing from that circle was Dusty, who was on his side halfway to the fetal position, unable to breathe; he was the first to bow out in the game of chicken after a _direct hit_.  
Nutball is truly the world’s most dangerous game._ _

__**Tanel asks:** _Are helicopters naturally predators? Would Blade's natural ancient instinct be to murder Dusty?__ _

__Well biologically, helicopters are most closely related to members of the _Delphinidae_ , or _dolphin_ family, with models Blade’s size most relative to orcas. So technically speaking, _yes_ , it is in their biology! It’s believed that small aircraft have roots in the Delphinidae families as well, though more branched off (as though the airplane and helicopter evolution split at the dolphin family) but they do share a lot of close association with Bottlenose dolphins. It’s very possible that these biological histories are what leads Blade to feel so strongly against Dusty during the events of the film, though I will say all aircraft and vehicle species have evolved _massively_ beyond the instincts of instantly killing something below them on the food chain.  
Still, evolution being what it is, it’s not crazy to assume there’s a predator/prey association between the two of them! (In hindsight, this may be a dangerous headcanon to be putting out, on the chance someone will go “Predator and _prey_? *insert evil laugh and that little hand-rub thing* “I know _just_ what to do with _them_!”. Though, at the same time...I am 100% okay with that. XD)_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story time is over for this round, I had some good questions though. The inbox is empty yet again, so unless I have more questions brought in I think my next Tidbit will be another miscellaneous explanation, or perhaps some wild facts about a character.  
>  Oh here, actually, let’s try this, _y’all put it to a vote_ , who out of these options do you want to see more headcanoned facts on?
> 
> -Ripslinger
> 
> -Skipper
> 
> -Windlifter
> 
> -An original character (you can decide, my main two right now are _Oscar Woods_ \- Dusty’s lover boi - and _Cassidy Lopez_ \- Blade’s adopted grandniece.)
> 
> Okay that be all, ta-ta!


	8. [QA] Rip N' Tear?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I should clarify that all Q and As are being answered specifically within the plane variant headcanon, _unless the question specifies the humanized variant, or I add a [clarified] section of it’s headcanon to the end of the answer._ Yes, the plane and human versions are vastly different, this is why they’re being separated as such. What is a distinct part of one headcanon may not even exist in the other (ie Dusty’s epilepsy).  
>  *also, this doesn’t mean I won’t take humanized-variant questions here too, just like I said, clarify that the question is for that particular sub-universe.

**[Anonymous] Bandit asks:** _Does Blade play fight with them, if he’s like a predator (even as evolved as he is) wouldn’t he have some fight instinct? So would he play fight?_  
Though I doubt the ol’ bird would _now_ , given his age and more importantly his dignity, but I will say he definitely did growing up - especially when you take into account that he was the oldest of four kids!  
I also think he played/sparred a lot with Nick back in the days of CHoPs. I mean, they were both young hotshots who thought they were all that, not to mention Nick was also a very energetic one, even by helicopter’s standards. Now, given my headcanon, I think we all know where said play-fights might _end up_ (smirkity smirk), but regardless I think they did still enjoy shoving matches in which Nick was vastly outweighed.  
(...no like seriously, Nick is a ninth of Blade’s weight…)  
And Dusty has probably attempted to play with him, but I fear that was to very limited success. By the time they’ve even bonded that well, they’d been through the hell that was the park fire and the events of Emergency, of which no one gets to leave unscathed.

**[Anonymous] Bandit asks:** _Do they deal with wild predatory animals up there, and if so do they ever come on base? Do Cabbie and Blade have to chase them lol_  
Well not so much _mammals_ since they aren’t around anymore, to the best of machinekind’s knowledge, but they have been needing to deal with snakes in the garage, birds building nests in the roof, and of course various insects. While it’s definitely better than bears and coyotes by our human standards, it’s admittedly pretty funny considering aircraft don’t know what to make of _any_ organic beings, so something as simple-minded and harmless as a Robin is just… _very_ perplexing to them, borderline frightening because they’re not sure what to expect from it. Even Blade and Cabbie have been known to flinch from the reemerging organics, simply out of distrust of their intentions.

**Tanel asks:** _Would Skipper still interact with Dusty if he chose not to race anymore and to be full time firefighter? What would he do with him then?_

Oh absolutely, they’d be in contact no matter _where_ Dusty goes in his life. They’ve bonded like family, to the point he will come to Skip with problems he wouldn’t even come to his _own_ family about (and Blade, but that’s about something very specific that I’ll remain vague on because it might just be a coming story for the [unposted, still] 2021 ‘Props to the Proppies’ series).  
I do think that if Dusty went full-time firefighter (and, I presume out of the question, worked at Piston Peak full-time) that they’d have a lot less time to actually be together, but I don’t think that would stop them from getting to communicate. If he was a full-time firefighter in Propwash though, then that wouldn’t be much of an issue. :P

**Sharatrap123 asks:** _Destiny: Does Skipper have any other family members, and can he not try to shoot me down *Glares at him* I get the point for my training but still_

Ah, to that first one I’m only gonna hold off on any answer because that whooole thing will be gone over next Tidbit! As requested in _mass_ , Skipper will be getting a chapter of his own coming next! ;P  
As for the next one, weeell...Skipper’s a bit of a softie anyways (shh, nobody is supposed to know this) so I doubt that, even had he not taken Dusty under his wing as his instructor, he wouldn’t have shot him down. It’s not like he’d necessarily deserve the cold assault. XD

**Sharatrap123 asks:** _Destiny: also was there a reason for ripslinger being mean?_

Ripslinger isn’t mean in his own eyes; he’s _entitled_. He’s grown up under the belief that he is right and cannot be wrong, so therefore he has the means of justifying anything he does as “not mean”, because he’s just making everyone else know his [right] opinions/decisions, and not bothering with everyone else’s wrong ones.  
Example: Dusty tries to race. Ripslinger thinks a crop duster is _not_ a racing plane and shouldn’t race. This is right, in his eyes. The fact that Dusty continues to race after he has told Dusty he can’t is wrong to him, which is his means of justifying everything he does afterwards! It also evolves overtime from “you don’t belong in the racing circuit” to “you’re threatening my ability to be the best” which is why he moves to such extremes towards the end of the film. Yes. Ripslinger is fucked up. But there are reasons to explain _why_ he is fucked up, and (if I get enough votes, nudge nudge) I may be willing to put time into a Tidbit for him to explain more of those means of ‘why’.

**Tanel asks:** _Would Skipper actually murder Ripslinger if he saw him seriously hurting Dusty or would he be able to contain himself?_

It would depend on the severity of the situation, me thinks. If it was Dusty and Rip cussing each other out (ie verbal assault, not physical) there’s no doubt he would get _involved_ , but not to kill Rip. He would be more likely to just diffuse the situation. Now, if such a thing escalated into a _real_ fight, with all the biting and wing-slapping and tussling (like you do) he’d definitely go in full-force to break it up. Still though, I don’t think it would ever be in Skipper’s intentions to want to kill Ripslinger. Killing someone even in the act of self-defense is _still_ killing someone. He feels he’s done too much of that already in his war days, and tries to be more of a pacifist when he is able.  
I think the only scenario where he’d actually have Ripslinger killed is if he posed an immediate threat to his and/or Dusty’s _life_ , in an environment where there wasn’t outside forces helping (ie police, spectators, etc).  
Even still, Skipper would probably only wish damage enough that he would no longer be a threat, or where another can remove him from the situation.

**Tanel asks:** _Does Blade and his team actually exist or is he just part of Dusty's imagination since he never truly woke up from the crash into ocean and instead is still in coma to this day?_

Okay this is honestly a really cool theory, and I totally support this theory as an AU to play around in! That said though, going off of my headcanon, it’s not actually a thing. XD Nope, Blade and Dipper and Windlifter and Maru, and all the rest of the Piston Peak Air Attack team, are very real to Dusty. As was his gearbox malfunction in the Planes versions, as much as it is the epilepsy in his humanized one.


	9. [QA] Blade Questions, Plane Puppos, and the Concepts of Beauty (to planes/helis)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes I was supposed to have my Skipper thing up next, but y'all keepin' me _busy!_ XD  
> (That's still upcoming though!)

**Tanel asks** _OK, sorry for such odd questions but.. If Blade has romantic feelings for Dusty, and let's Suppose Dusty had romantic feelings for Blade too then would Skipper try to protect Dusty if these two would be in fully active romantic relationship? Would Skipper maul shit out of Blade if he saw him kissing Dusty?_

Ooooh...no that’s not an odd question at all, it’s interesting! Well lesse here…

Well, I think to an extent, Skipper may worry about a situation like that, and not because he thinks the two would be a bad match for each other. It would have more to do with his concerns over their age gaps. You gotta remember Dusty’s only in his early-to-mid twenties, and Blade is pushing his mid _seventies_ now. The gap is cause for concern in a canonical timeline.  
But aside from that, I think Skipper, while he may not necessarily “accept” that on a few different levels (Skipper tends to be a little inwardly homophobic, to be honest), he really would feel there’s no choice but to accept it. Dusty isn’t his son, and even if he was, he’s responsible for his own decisions.

**Tanel asks** _What do baby aircrafts eat?_

Well, after they’re born, a baby airplane (or helicopter) basically has the same needs a baby bird might, where the food they’re eating is very soft and mushy or downright liquified. Aircraft may have live birth, but they do not nurse their young. Instead, (and you can blame the onset of nesting habits for this) the parent/s will make them their own mush-meals for their pups to nom on until they are old enough and have the proper teeth to start eating solid foods.  
Pups get their teeth fairly quickly, as well, having a set of incisors, canines, and bicuspids before they’re six months of age. Now, they also can drink certain oils right off the bat, as well. Generally, regardless of makes and models, _thinner_ oils are more sought after for young. It’s just easier for them to suck down.

**Tanel asks** _[And] how much sleep does a regular kid and adult aircraft require in a day?_

Depends on the model, really. Little crafts (let’s make a baby Dusty example) need to sleep [deeply] most as newborns (around 12 hours), but need much less as yearlings or toddlers (decreasing from 10 to about 6). Fully grown, Dusty needs about 6 hours of deep sleep a day to feel energized. That’s not to say they don’t _nap_ though, and aircraft who aren’t on a high energy schedule nap a LOT.  
Bigger ‘craft require a little more sleep even as they get older, but they start about the same at 13-14 hours a day. As adults, they need closer to 8.

Now helicopters are really weird. Technically speaking, helis need about 7 or 8 hours a day, _but_ they’re really bad about not getting that all in one go. It’s much more likely they will get the first 3 or 4 hours in one time of day, and the other 4 in a different time (you’ll see Blade sleep 1AM to 5AM, and then again between 6PM and 9:30PM - if he can be asked to, that is). It’s kind of just a natural thing for them, they have a hard time conforming to the all-nighter schedules that most airplanes do because of this, so you see a lot of them up in the middle of the night between their half-sleeps, lounging around bored because they can’t (and shouldn’t) fly in the dark.

**Tanel asks** _Do helicopters purr when they are sad or relaxed? Has Dusty ever heard Blade purring? (that would be so fucking cute tho)_

YES. And it’s fucking adorable. Not to mention, every helicopter has a very _unique_ purr that generally relates to their engines, but also has inflections of their own design (like voices). Blade has a very low but strongly reverberating purr - you _feel_ it more than you can _hear_ it. It’s still much more audible than Windlifter’s though, which is basically just an earthquake. Nick’s is, in comparison, extraordinarily cat-like - and he doesn’t just purr, he _trills_ and _chirps_ with content. It’s not hard to see how Blade fell for him so quickly! XD  
As for Dusty...well, perhaps we’ve yet to see! *winkety wink-wink winking*

**Tanel asks (as the “last time I swear” question, to which I say: “Suuuure…” XD):** _What would Blade do if Windlifter crashed right before his eyes? Would he fall back into deep depression? Who would carry others out of the fire when they didn't have any heavy lift helicopters?_

In the most likely case, yes, he would. I don’t think anyone on the team would be ‘O-K’ for a while, especially Blade, Dusty, Dipper, and _Cabbie_. But they all still have work to do; even mourning, they have more lives to be saved out there.  
And the sad truth is, for that time...no one, really. Unless they were very small cars, or anything up to about Dusty’s weight (without the pontoons that is), which Blade’s systems could handle, they wouldn’t have the ability to get anyone larger out quickly. It’s likely Jammer would be insanely desperate to find another heavy-lift chopper for the team after that, but until that day would come, the Smokejumpers may be left to try to take care of injured teammates or victims.

**[anonymous] JackalValcoun asks:** _Did Blade ever had...feelings for Nick? Like, more than friendly feelings? I know the Augusta Westland does look at fine guy helis and planes and we all know that Nick was an adorable, sexy Hughes, so…_

Oh-ho, I can tell you are new here my friend! Because the answer is a _very_ strong Y-E-S! Within my headcanon sandbox, Blade had/has immense feelings for Nick, which were also reciprocated, _and_ taken sexually in their relationship! If not for Nick’s death, they would have become a couple, and finally gone public about their pre-existing relationship (they couldn’t during CHoPs of course, discrimination of homosexuality being what it was).  
For more in this headcanon, I refer you to...literally just about _anything_ Blade/Nick relative in my Ao3 here! Anything, aside from ‘Shelter’ simply because it was very old and at the time I wasn’t sure whether I was going to be solid about Blade and Nick as a couple. Not that it isn’t adorable though, in my humble opinion. XD

**[anonymous] JackalValcoun asks:** _And on that note, how does the term 'sexy' apply to helis and planes? How are attractiveness levels determined in the Carsverse?_

Ah, about the same way human beauty works. Everything is entirely subjective! But, for the most part, I think sexiness is determined by attractiveness, which may be things like smooth, glossy paint, defined bodily shapes or curves, and a lack of dents or rust, etc. Though even that is only a baseline of ‘beauty’ in their eyes. Everything outside of that is in the eye of the beholder.  
For that matter, Blade sees Nick as such because he’s simple in design, paint is clean and without fault, he’s very smol with a big personality, and of course points for little things like his tone of voice and general personality and mannerisms. Nick in turn is trash for those big helis, and Blade is a definite power house with those dual engines!


	10. [TB] The Jolly Wrench

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As voted for in mass, we have a selection of lil’ tidbits for the old military warbird himself, Skipper!  
>  I’ll be honest, I really haven’t done much in the way of stories for Skip. It’s not that I dislike his character or anything, it really has more to do with the fact I don’t take interest in the military or the air force or the navy, or anything along those lines, so I don’t know squat about it no matter how hard I try to understand it. I just don’t want to be wrong about that, which is why I’m openly stating “hey, I don’t know how this shit works, so if it’s wonky, _it ain’t my fault_ ”. That said...this was an attempt.

* * *

Skipper Riley is an F4U Corsair, as we all know (or that I hope we all know?), but he comes from a relatively mixed-model family of war planes. The Corsair traits were inherited through family lineage primarily on his father’s side. He was also the oldest of three kids, having two younger sisters (both of whom are now deceased) by the names of Vera and Claire. They were all born and raised in Georgia.

Growing up, Skipper was a really energetic and rambunctious plane, and a fast one to boot. This made him really good at his first job, which was as a delivery plane (that’s right, he was a postman growing up!). It wasn’t until a fateful day of outflying a horrific thunderstorm that he became enamored with the world of cross-country racing. It was still a very new sport in his day, the biggest one in the country still only in its infancy stages, but it was growing fast, and he wanted to become a part of it.

And so, like any young, stupid, arrogant male might do, he took to practicing the dangerously addictive racing sport, alongside friends and other enthusiasts. That was, in his mind, the greatest and most fulfilling years of his life. It was a short time in comparison to everything that was about to become of him, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Those were the years he was happiest, most free, and the least concerned about problems.

But then war happened.

Skipper was the ripe age to be drafted into the air force, and the perfect build for it, too. They wanted all those airplanes _specifically_ bred to be good fighters - because yes, they were made to be that way on purpose. Even Skipper, mixed blood, but with the majority of the F4-U Corsair’s designs across his external features, was the perfect tool. Given his strength, speed, and most importantly willpower, he was ranked higher than a lot of others of his caliber. He was given a whole squadron, his own _fleet_ of Corsairs, that as we know, would soon come to be obliterated by opposing forces.

Skipper’s crash put his body out of the air force for a while, but his mind had him out of it for good. Even after he’d come to, and most of his systems had been well under repair, he would never be the same plane again. He made an ugly promise to himself that should he ever take flight again, it would be only to end his torment once and for all.

Sparky never let him take that chance, then.

So, with years now for the warbird to waste away, one of the only things that kept him awake in the world was the air racing sports, how they were blooming and developing, the kinds of champions that came and went with every passing year. He poured hours upon hours studying air racing - understanding how it works, all the cheats and tricks, some of which he’d known since his own days of racing against friends and rivals alike. He never competed, but damn he wished he had been able to before that life was yanked away from him. He could have one-upped all those kids on the circuit now.

But a promise is a promise.

So you can understand the kind of glint in his eyes when he found that _one_ opportunity to train a champion. Dusty was faaaar from perfect, about as far away from a racer as you could get. But that spark was there. The love of the sport was _there_. It was the only reason Skipper decided to take that risk in training him. He wasn’t getting any younger, and besides...the kid ended up exceeding his wildest expectations.

But Dusty did much more than that. He reignited a flame in Skipper’s old soul. That age-old promise he made to himself was written out when he found something, or rather someone, worth flying for. He had been living for so long in sorrow and self-pity, selfishly wishing for days that he would never get back. But where his racing days would never come to fruition, he still found joy in teaching Dusty, in watching the student outdo the master. That is, after all, what every good mentor strives to see become of their students.


End file.
